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The Sleepy Mississippi River.... ....and more. A lazy day aboard a steamboat, Cruising on the mighty Mississippi. The rhythm of the paddlewheel churning, On the waters called the 'old big mudddy'. To the passengers aboard it was truly a delight, For they took heart knowing land was never out of sight. Peaceful days with perhaps […]

DESTINATION: DAY 1: PORT OF EMBARKATION: MY CABIN ATTENDANT: WEATHER: ROOM: DINNER: SHOW: ACTIVITIES: NOTES: DAY 2: PORT OR. AT SEA WEATHER: BREAKFAST: LUNCH: DINNER: EXCURSIONS/TOURS/ACTIVITIES: NOTES:

1. Booking and Documentation: Confirm cruise booking names, numbers and itineraries. Check that each passport is valid for at least six months from end of travel date. Verify the name(s) on the passports matches the names on the booking reservation (in case there was a marriage and a maiden name is still on the passport […]

The Master of the vessel has complete control and responsibility of the vessel. His/her Officers, have charge of matters from Navigation to Engineering. We then have what is referred to as the hotel' side of the operation where we have the crew. The day to day operation of the ship lies in the capable hands […]

You have done an admirable job in organizing and planning your cruise. There is a point to where you organize and then say I'm done, whatever may happen, I'll deal with it'. In the unlikely and unfortunate event that you need to get off the ship and go to a shoreside hospital in a foreign […]

Tips 🔑 and Tips 💵 🔑 Helpful Tips 🔑 Respect the guidance and information from your Muster Station crew coordinator. 🔑 Make it routine to use the sanitizing stations onboard. 🔑  9 If the salt and pepper shakers are missing from your dining venue, exercise care in that such items may be removed from use […]

Expectation: This itinerary is PERFECT!!! Exasperation: Well, maybe, in a perfect world. Unfortunately, the world has its' moments that do not always cooperate. I think the first thought that you have to keep in mind is that multi-page Cruise Contract that you acknowledged receiving. Among a few other things, somewhere it may say that "....we […]

Expectation: I arrived at the pier at my designated time. Exasperation: A lot of cruise lines have adopted the procedure of working with passengers by allowing a dedicated time to board the ship. It is a very practical approach to allow for processing the several thousand guests in a timely manner. Unfortunately, situations beyond the […]

December 27, 2025. Well......I felt the need for a post Holiday cruise. I called Norwegian Cruise Line and was almost immediately connected with Katrina, an agent with NCL. inquired about availability on the Norwegian GEM departing out of Jacksonville, FL on January 16, 2026 for four nights to the Bahamas. The Norwegian Gem is a […]

JOY or No JOY Welcome aboard!! Let's begin with my 'Booking to Boarding' experience. I chose to enhance my website with a premiere blog post of my recent cruise experience. A four night cruise onboard the Norwegian JOY seemed like a good choice. The Joy is one of several ships of Norwegian Cruise Line. The […]